Snow
by Arlia'Devi
Summary: A blizzard provides InuYasha and Kagome the perfect opportunity to get a little closer...


**SNOW**

by Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha: all rights go to Rumiko Takahashi and associates. I make no money from this.

- **Snow** -

by Arlia'Devi

~ As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words. ~

**- William Shakespeare.**

**Her ****mouth ****burnt from ****sucking ****in ****the ****icy ****air ****of ****the ****slopes. **Kagome's skin was flushed and her lips were dry and parted, breathing in the thin air as the group walked through snowy fields. Her hands were cold, although they were wrapped in thick fabric and her own navy knitted gloves. A frumpy matching navy jacket zipped up at the front, and her long legs were concealed in waterproof trackpants. Yet still, Kagome was cold.

And she wasn't the only one feeling the cold as the group slowly made their way through the snowfield. Shippou and Kirara, the fox tyke and the little two-tail had nestled into Kagome's blazer: sitting snugly between her t-shirt and blazer. This swelling at her gut made Kagome look seven months pregnant: a look which Miroku pointed out and laughed and of which InuYasha glowered.

"Huh," she rubbed her swollen belly with her gloves, feeling Shippo kick as she tickled him. "I always wondered what it would feel like. Can I complain and be as moody like a pregnant woman too?"

"Like when has it stopped you before?" snorted InuYasha and Sango laughed. Sango was warm: her slayer suit was designed for both sub-zero temperatures and sweltering hot days. She was walking behind InuYasha presently, her weaponry strapped to her back.

InuYasha paused for a moment, and sniffed the air. The snow burnt his nostrils slightly, but he'd picked up a scent of a mountain animal: perhaps a goat or something. It was his turn to catch dinner tonight, and perhaps goat soup would be on the menu. Mountain goats, however, frowning, were rather tough as the animals were constantly working out and on the run. He was about to leap off after it when Kagome muttered.

"I sense a sacred jewel shard…," muttered Kagome and Sango reeled for an attack. Upon hearing such words, also, Shippo and Kirara squirmed out of the warmth of Kagome's clothes. Kirara transformed, her fire melting the snow underneath her feet.

"… It… It feels like it's going up," she pointed to the incline on the left. "Up the hill."

Miroku suddenly cried out. "Look!" he pointed directly ahead where a rather ferocious wind was whipping up the snow.

"A snowstorm," gritted InuYasha. "Just out luck. Miroku, there was a cave a while back – if you run you'll make it out of the snowstorm, take Sango. Shippo, you go with them. Kagome!" he leapt forward and threw the girl onto his back. "We're goin' to get this jewel shard."

Sure, the gang were desperate to get the rest of the jewel shards: there were perhaps only a few of them left and with Naraku possessing such a vast amount, any they could put between him and completing the jewel would be a positive. InuYasha found it frustrating that at one point they had the jewel almost complete, in possession of the most jewel shards. In a blink of an eye it seemed, Naraku had stolen and found most of them and Kagome possessed a measly three. Since their last encounter with Naraku and the band of seven, those three jewel shards had become none.

"It's not much higher," Kagome spoke, adjusting her body on the hanyou's back. Her lungs burnt from breathing in such cold air, and the snow left a sour taste and slimy residue in her mouth. The sooner they found this shard then the sooner they could retreat back to the cave with Miroku and Sango.

InuYasha, however, continued to ascend the cliff, on directions from Kagome and soon the duo found that they were chasing the shard further and further away from where they'd left Miroku and Sango. And the snowstorm was coming in strong, and fast.

"It's a fuckin' goat," InuYasha growled as he caught scent of the demon. "A goat demon with a sacred jewel – what a piece of cake."

Landing on an icy plateau, InuYasha left Kagome at the base of a further incline, of which he could hear the demon snort and scuff at the scent of an intruder. To the left, the beast appeared: a large, cream goat, its hooves raking along the cold stone in a warning for InuYasha to back off. The hanyou in response turned his back on his human companion protectively and drew Tetsusaiga.

"Make quick work of it, InuYasha," muttered Kagome. "It's too cold up here – I can't stand this for much longer."

InuYasha, more aware of Kagome's safety and discomfort than ever, assured the woman that it would not take long to carve up the demon, and proceeded to take it on. The enormous goat, however, proved to be quite the opponent. InuYasha was quick and the buck was brute strength. The buck would charge, hitting its curled horns into the side of the mountain when InuYasha dodged one of its attacks. Kagome instinctively, attempted to get as far away from the goat as possible: teetering on the farthest edge of the plateau, well away from where InuYasha was fighting.

"Where's it's jewel shard?" InuYasha cried, dodging another charge.

Kagome took a moment to locate it, which wasn't difficult. Her priestess powers were becoming stronger. "In its forehead! Right between its eyes."

"Huh," InuYasha cracked his knuckles and made a fist. "Fine with me."

The ram lunged again and InuYasha's fist met it dead way, striking a powerful blow between the beasts eyes. The jewel shard flung out at lightening speeds with InuYasha quickly catching it between his thumb and forefinger.

The goat shrunk before his eyes: the once muscled, feisty buck became a small, lean male. "Not even alpha," InuYasha gritted. At least the demon would make well for soup, and Tetsusaiga carved up the beast nicely.

"You can purify the meat when we get back," spoke InuYasha, with handfuls of bloody, fresh goat meat. Kagome took the meat with a blanch, wrapping it up in her red handkerchief and mounting InuYasha for the journey back.

"How are ya holdin' up?" he asked as they quickly descended the mountain.

"I'll be happy when I'm warm, next to a fire and fed," she muttered and protected her face from the icy wind by burying it into InuYasha's haori. Her throat would be sore in the morning: the amount of icy wind she'd sucked down would have burnt her oesophageus at least in the slightest. But Kagome's backpack was always well stocked: she'd just been back to her world and had stocked up on personal comfort items such as throat lozenges.

InuYasha sniffed the air, a warning sign Kagome knew from experience. He hummed slightly to himself and swayed. "What's the matter, InuYasha?"

"Can't find Miroku and Sango," replied the hanyou irritably. "The snow storm has distorted their scents: I can't find 'em anywhere."

"Well," Kagome replied, not wanting to spend any useless time looking for the others when she was freezing her rear off. "Let's just go find somewhere warm and stay there: it's too cold to look for them. They're big and strong and can take care of themselves; I'm sure, for a night."

InuYasha growled softly in protest and caved. There had been a rickety old hut a little near where the goat carcass lay: that would prove to be ample protection from the snowstorm for the night. Without a second thought for the well-being of Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara, InuYasha leapt off for the direction of the old hut. His friends weren't ordinary humans: they knew how to fend for themselves, and they'd be fine. At least he'd get a decent sleep, eat and then find them in the morning. Plus, Kagome was beginning to shiver, although she firmly denied that the cold was getting to her in such a way.

The hut wasn't in bad shape, to be honest. InuYasha admired how it had been maintained, even though it was probably rather old. Although a few holes needed to be patched up, and he used the picnic rug from Kagome's bag to shove under a draft gap between the door and the floor, the hut would be suitable. Kagome was inside, her frumpy blazer disregarded in a corner and had a fire blazing. Kagome was good with things like that: she sat in a room and a fire almost magically sparked to life, and food began to cook, making it instantly homier.

She'd purified the demon meat and had taken a bucket full of snow to boil. InuYasha had attempted to drink the water of the melted snow, but Kagome had told him to wait: it wasn't healthy to drink such cold water without it being boiled first.

The goat meat went well with the ramen Kagome had interred into her soup, although it was a little too spicy for InuYasha's tastes. There was good food, and a lot of it.

"You've at least gotten a better cook since we started goin' after the sacred jewels," he commented, finishing off his third bowl.

"Thanks," Kagome replied, curled up on the other side of the fire in a baby-blue coloured knitted jumper of hearts and a pair of thick black tracks. She had a pair of warm socks tucked under her rump, and Kagome's cheeks had turned a lovely hue of pink since being re-warmed by the fire. The woman also delved in to her bag to take out a tube of ointment for her lips, making the room smell like strawberries and her lips glossier. "The snow makes me tired…"

"Sleep then," was InuYasha's simple reply.

"Hm, I should," Kagome smiled half-heartily. "Do you think the others will be alright?"

"Shippo can make a fire," InuYasha commented. "So they'll be right: they're strong, Kagome, they can fend for themselves. Hey," Kagome looked up from under her lashes. "… I never said 'good job' when you were singin', so, er good job."

"At the culture festival?" Kagome queried and InuYasha nodded.

"You were princess whatever…" he shrugged and leant back on the hut wall.

"Oh, thanks," Kagome blushed. That was when InuYasha had stormed in, destroying the entire play stage and attempted to fight Hojo off Kagome. The girl sighed, if he wasn't fighting Hojo, he was fighting Koga. But the break had been just what InuYasha had needed with Kikyo's recent death; he was depressed and seemed to lose purpose for a moment. The break, it seemed, had brought back the same InuYasha more or less. Of course, he was a little more possessive of her, an a little more caring, positives which Kagome didn't have a problem with: as she'd said it out loud to Kagura and the infant; she was in love with InuYasha.

Probably not the best thing to do, Kagome realised in retrospect, by now Naraku must have known...

"And thanks for saving me from marrying the boar, as well," Kagome managed a smile and stretched out onto the floor. She delved into her backpack to pull out her sleeping back and small pillow: a luxury she'd found small enough in a store to pack into her bag.

InuYasha shrugged. "Don't mention it."

"He had around ten wives, including me," Kagome blanched. "Talk about polygamy."

"What's that?" InuYasha frowned at the new word.

"It's when a person has many lovers," explained Kagome with a yawn. "Like the pig had heaps of wives… or Miroku who has his eye on a lot of women – they're both polygamous. Where as me," she yawned again and zipped down her sleeping bag. "I'm monogamous: I only want one man."

InuYasha's ears perked up as Kagome slipped into the sleeping bag. "I'm the same," he replied even before his mind had time to catch up.

"What was that?" Kagome replied dreamily.

"Dog demons are the same," he corrected, a little louder this time. "A dog demon only takes one _true_ lover, and can only love on person at a time. Loving two people makes things very difficult for dog-demons."

Kagome almost had to force herself to remain awake now – InuYasha was finally talking and all she wanted to do was sleep. "Your father had two children, though," Kagome replied. "Each by different women."

"It's not uncommon for dog demons to have partners before finding their life partner – whether my mother was my father's mate I'll never know."

"I think she was," replied Kagome, who stared up to the thatched roof. "It's such a romantic story – how can they not have been so in love? He died trying to protect you and your mother."

InuYasha didn't reply and cocked an eyebrow when Kagome unzipped herself from her cotton cocoon. He'd shared way more than he would have liked, but it all seemed to have slipped out. Kagome had better not be trying somethin' shifty, but he watched as the girl grabbed a smaller cooking pot and scooped up some clean snow from outside. She then placed the pot on to boil and asked, "Want some hot cocoa?"

InuYasha blinked and sniffed the small packets of powder she was getting from her bag – the drink smelt sweet and rich, so he accepted. Kagome's ninja food was always nice; perhaps this may have been just as good or even better than ramen.

No.

Nothing was better than ramen.

The water began to boil and Kagome, with droopy eyes and a head in one hand, poured in the satchets and began to stir the brown, sweet liquid until it began to froth and bubble. A few squishy edible pillows were popped into the mixture, one which InuYasha took from the plastic bag skewered on the end of his pinkie claw. He poked it in fascination.

"Marshmallows," Kagome clarified. "Eat it – it's good."

InuYasha ate the little thing, at first surprised at how plush and sweet it was. Then, as he chewed, the texture and consistency of the little pillow; it was like eating a cloud! The hanyou was about to steal another when Kagome offered him a mug of boiling brown broth which had a sweet and tangy aroma.

"Chocolate is not supposed to be good for dogs," she hummed dreamily as she relished the taste of the cocoa. "I haven't given this cocoa to anyone else – I'm too selfish with my chocolate because I know everyone else will love it. You're the only one I've let have my special stuff."

InuYasha took a little sip, surprised at the sweetness and smoothness of the hot drink. It was an easy thing to drink, he found, that it slipped down his throat with ease and slowly, slowly lulled him to sleep. "Can you bring me back more of this stuff when you go back?" InuYasha asked as Kagome nestled into bed again.

"Chocolate?" she asked and the boy nodded. "Yeah sure."

The marshmallow gave the drink an added sweetness that without it, InuYasha wasn't sure he'd like. Plus, as the marshmallow sat in the steaming liquid, it slowly melted ending up a string of squishy, sweet string that had him sucking off his fingers as he caught a melted 'mallow.

"Kagome?" InuYasha spoke up suddenly, waking the girl from her daze.

"Yes, InuYasha?" she muttered and rubbed her eyes.

"Where's your father?"

"Hm?"

"Your father – where is he?"

_What __brought __that __on_? Thought Kagome irritably. The man had never bothered to ask about her father, or really her family – why now? Still Kagome answered, "he died when I was little. Probably about the same age you were when your mother died."

"What from?"

"He got very sick," replied Kagome. "A sickness that no one could really fix back then. Mama says Souta looks like Papa when he was his age – Papa was Mama's first love, they'd been together since they were fourteen."

InuYasha rested his head against the wall and stared at the roof. "Hm. Ya know, Kagome, I wonder if your father could travel like time like you can."

"I don't know," she smiled. "I never really thought about it – maybe he could. But the well was always sealed until I went through."

"Well, you can always _unseal_ it," replied the hanyou with a snap.

"How long until the night without a moon, InuYasha," Kagome yawned and nestled into her sleeping bag.

InuYasha replied quickly, a sign that it was coming up. Usually, the hanyou had to count on his fingers to figure out the days. "Three."

"We should lay low for a while then," she muttered dreamily. "At least give you a decent month to kill Naraku before goin' into hiding again."

"I'm going to kill that baby," growled InuYasha. "Naraku won't have you Kagome, you are mine."

To anyone, such a statement of maliciousness toward an infant was disgusting, but to Kagome and InuYasha, the two knew that the baby was just an incarnation of Naraku: a demon spawned from hell, and the brat needed to be killed at all costs. This statement, however, created another question Kagome had for the hanyou, since evidently they were sharing. He was so malicious towards the evil baby, even to Shippo he was a little rough around the edges, but the love was there. "InuYasha," she said his name carefully. "How do you feel about children?"

"There fine, I'spose," he shrugged and not really thinking much of the question, in fact, considering it a rather stupid one. "I mean, if they don't cry, and whine."

"No," Kagome interrupted. "_Having_ children."

"Oh," muttered the hanyou and he paused for a moment. "Kikyo always wanted pups… er, children…"

Kagome cursed herself. She wouldn't have asked the question if it would bring up the issue of Kikyo: a woman not long deceased. InuYasha seemed a little down for a moment, and his topaz eyes moved to his where his finger picked at the woven floor of the hut. "I'm sorry," Kagome whispered shallowly. "Kikyo always seemed that she'd be a wonderful mother."

He grimaced. "Yeah." Fuck, she shouldn't have brought up Kikyo.

"Look, InuYasha," Kagome muttered sadly. "I'm sorry I brought it up; I-I'll just go to sleep now. Sorry." The girl rolled over, her back facing InuYasha.

"No," replied the hanyou quickly. "I mean no, Kagome, I… It just brought up some things I'd rather forget about Kikyo."

"Like what?" Kagome cursed her inquisitive nature.

It seemed he didn't want to talk about it for a while, he stayed silent and crossed his arms over his chest. "Kikyo…," he began softly. "Kikyo wanted me to turn human not only because the jewel would be destroyed and she would be able to live a normal life – if she wanted that she could have just wished for fertility of the region for one hundred years –, but also because Kikyo wanted me to turn human because the thought of having kids mixed with my demon blood and her human blood disgusted her."

"That doesn't sound like Kikyo," Kagome frowned.

"I heard it straight from her lips," InuYasha grimaced. "She hated my mixed blood."

"You can't help the way you are!" Kagome cried, her head shooting up from the pillow. "It's not your fault. If that's true, then that was very selfish of her – a good person is supposed to love another, no matter their faults and differences."

"I loved Kikyo," he replied with a little scoff. "So that must mean I was a good person."

At that point, Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was it Kikyo herself, with her ways and intent that had broken InuYasha's heart? For so long, he'd hated himself and his mixed blood – could Kikyo have been the woman who told him his half-caste blood wasn't enough? She would have been just the tip of the iceberg, probably – constant discrimination from humans and demons, from his brother and then from Kikyo, the woman he loved.

Suddenly, InuYasha got up, his silver fringe covering any emotions portrayed in his eyes. "I'm sorry Kagome," he whispered and made a dash for the door.

"No!" she bolted upright and InuYasha froze. "Stay," commanded the girl, certainly making him feel like a dog more than ever. "It's too cold outside – we're in the middle of the storm. We don't have to talk anymore." InuYasha slumped beside the door. "Just please don't leave me alone here."

"Kagome," he muttered softly.

"I'm going to sleep." She fell back into bed and threw her blanket over her body in a huff. "Goodnight InuYasha," muttered the woman, a little more rashly than she'd intended.

Outside, the snowstorm blazed with no sign of abating. After a while, InuYasha leeched forward to stoke the fire. Kagome's breathing was shallow and rhythmic, but he didn't think she was asleep yet – she'd gotten too fired up thinking about Kikyo, he'd caught a sliver of hatred for the woman in her scent. InuYasha hadn't meant to tell her so much, but Kagome knew so many secrets of his, he rationalised a few more wouldn't tip over the bucket. Besides, Kagome had once told him it was good sometimes to speak things on her mind and god knows he'd been subjected to her emotional ramble when she was feeling stressed and worried – even if he didn't listen sometimes and only offered a small pat on the back. The next day, however, he was gentler towards her, careful not to set her off, spark and argument and make sure they stayed somewhere comfortable. Kagome was so emotionally sensitive it was like walking on ice sometimes: never knowing when he'd fall into the icy waters of ignorance and glares.

Kagome was shivering; his keen senses picked up the small vibration of her body through the ground. She was cold, evidently, even with the thick blankets and the fire beside her. How that was possible InuYasha didn't know – humans were so fickle, always getting sick and sensitive. His demon blood made him run hotter than humans, and his skin was thicker, allowing him to survive and stand temperatures such as in the snowy mountains with ease.

He'd give it to her, InuYasha decided as he rounded Kagome's side – the warmth that she wanted and the closeness that he needed. Her body was warm as he slipped his arms around her tiny waist, coming to nuzzle the back of her head with his nose. Kagome stirred for a moment, if it was only to get more comfortable before sighing softly – almost contently. Her lean body pressed against his chest, then down the entire length of his body and InuYasha mentally cursed the amount of clothing between them: if only it hadn't been a snow storm, but a giant heatwave. Somehow, even if he had deliberately done it, they'd separate themselves from the group like now, and, in heat, his hands would take off articles upon articles of clothing both his own and hers. Her sweaty body, her moans, the way she whispered his name…

InuYasha suppressed such thoughts as Kagome shifted and rubbed something that responded eagerly to her touch. The hanyou shifted to get a little more comfortable, taking up apart of the sleeping bag as Kagome shuffled across. As if it would suppress more amorous and slightly lecherous thoughts from his mind, InuYasha pressed his lips to the base of Kagome's skull, breathing in the scent of her hair.

Kagome's head rolled over slowly and her eyes cracked open. InuYasha licked his lips softly, and only just getting a taste of Kagome's skin delved to press his warm lips to just underneath her jaw, then to her cheek, getting more access to Kagome's face as she turned into his embrace. Soon his lips kissed the corner of Kagome's mouth before working on those moist lips that tasted like strawberry. The girl, in turn, ran her fingers through InuYasha's silver locks and responded eagerly.

The girl whimpered softly as InuYasha's fangs caught her bottom lip and nipped at it softly. In some sweet revenge, Kagome did the same, earning a deep rumble from the man and his hands encircling her body. InuYasha's fingers hastily unzipped the sleeping bag, recognising it now as only a barrier between their bodies and Kagome shuffled over to invite him into the cotton cocoon – a fantasy he'd had for a while, watching her from atop a treetop, desiring nothing but to slip in without a whimper.

Her knitted jumper was a lot more complimentary to Kagome's form, clung to her bountiful and beautiful curves as she moaned softly in his arms. InuYasha kissed her sweetly, so carefully and emotionally that it made her want to weep from the pent-up confused emotions. Things like doubt, and unrequited love were thoughts pushed away. Although they'd never said it, they knew it. Somehow, in some unexplainable way, they'd fallen in love with each other.

InuYasha's tongue asked for entrance eventually, in the kiss that seemed a sweet limbo – of which neither wanted to break and awake. In the snow storm, in the tiny, secluded hut, within each others arms, the two were finally alone. The world was cast out, and Kagome opened her mouth to him, bringing InuYasha's body closer and hitching a leg over his hip.

He tasted like cinnamon, spicy and earthy at the same time, yet sweet in a strange way. His hot velvet tongue toyed with hers, playing for dominance and exploring. When he withdrew his tongue and continued to kiss her in short captures of lips in butterfly kisses, his fingers caressed the soft skin of her cheek and jaw. The girl whispered his name sweetly and he smiled. When Kagome leant in for another kiss, he gave her it. But in breaking off softly, Kagome whimpered and didn't crack her eyes, wanting to feel him work against her lips again.

"Stop," he whispered softly. Running his tongue across her bottom lip, he tasted small amounts of blood and knew then, why he'd declined. "Your lips are wind-burnt and I ain't helpin'."

Kagome grinned and touched her swollen lips softly, indeed feeling their over sensitivity – surely in the morning it would look like as if InuYasha and Kagome had done what they did, and Miroku would love nothing more than to prod. InuYasha propped himself up on an elbow and smiled down.

"Go to sleep," he muttered and pushed a strand of raven hair from Kagome's alabaster cheek. "The snow storm hasn't calmed down yet – you might as well get some sleep while we wait it out."

Kagome nodded, and InuYasha must have smelt the spike in her scent which followed the churn in her stomach. "What's wrong?" he grunted.

"I'm worried about Miroku and Sango," Kagome whispered softly. "I wish I knew if they were alright…"

The hanyou sighed and pressed his lips to the girl's temple. "They'll be alright, Kagome. I'll sniff 'em out if the storm abates before morning and check."

Kagome hummed and nuzzled into the warmth of InuYasha's chest – it was his body heat that she'd always wanted to cherish like this, tucked in, feeling lazy and warm. "I like sleeping beside you," she murmured into his robe, evidently becoming very drowsy.

"You do?"

"Mm-hm," she sighed. "You make me feel safe."

That statement seemed to strike home more than she'd anticipated it would, as they hanyou's claws, once lazily draped across her waist, held her securely against his chest. Kagome smiled lazily and asked, her voice becoming a slur of tired words, "Will you sleep with me more often?"

"Only if the brat isn't," he growled, yet meaning no malicious intent in his words. "I don't want to have to share my woman, even with the kid."

Kagome didn't hear much after that – on one recount she thought she'd heard InuYasha hum and sing to himself, something that sounded like a lullaby, then the feeling of his fingers brushing back falling pieces of hair. The woman slept well until perhaps three in the morning, of which the cold hit her back and she realised with a gasp that InuYasha had disappeared. Tetsusiaga had been resting in the corner, and that had disappeared too. Perhaps the only indication that he hadn't totally packed up and left was his fire-rat robe draped over Kagome's sleeping bag and Tetsusiaga's sheath, which was situated by the fire. Had he left those things here in case danger befell her, then at least she'd have some form of protection?

But Kagome didn't have much time to worry, as by the time Kagome restored the fire from a small ember, InuYasha had crept through the door. He promptly told her that the snowstorm had died down and that he'd gone in search for Miroku, Sango and the others, of which he'd found in a cave around fifteen minutes down the slope.

"I would have never found them last night," he muttered and nestled into rest by Kagome then. "But they're alright – a little cold maybe, but Miroku and Sango were curled up side by side on Kirara, Shippo sleeping in Sango's arms." He laced his own arms around Kagome's waist and tugged her in. "I didn't have the heart to wake 'em."

The girl went to move, intent on getting up and getting ready for the day, but the hanyou, usually one all for an early rousing, pushed her back down forcefully. "Stay," he commanded. "It's still the early hours of the morning." Besides, InuYasha thought sourly as Kagome sighed and nestled into his chest again, who knew how many opportunities like this they'd get in the future: they could face the final battle with Naraku tomorrow or next year, who knew how much time they had left walking on this earth: they'd been a few close calls. But for now, training, fighting and preparing for Naraku's defeat was a distant occurance – sometime in the hazy future. Those sort of memoires weren't apart of whatever happened inside the hut: the hut was a perfect world, a perfect situation, what things could be like if things were perfect.

But of course, InuYasha and the gang didn't live in a perfect world. They, however, did the best they could, stealing scenarios and toying with ideas of a perfect world void of Naraku whenever they could: cold nights, swimming in the streams on a hot day, sneaking into each other's rooms when Miroku had conned someone into accommodating them. Miroku would catch InuYasha walking stealthily around the mansion gardens in a direction suspiciously similar to Kagome's room, and InuYasha in turn, saw him sneak out of Sango's room. Heh. Aw well, what was there to say?

* * *

><p>Here's a little one-shot, usually not my type of rating, but hell, I was having a horrible writer's block and managed to churn this out. I really fought for the title, thinking that it was too simple, but hell, I went with it. I think there might be a sequel in this yet, but we'll see how it turns out. As for my other stories: most notably "<strong>Dancing in the Dark<strong>" the third and final chapter may take a little longer than anticipated. The fifth chapter for "**Mind Games**" however, is predominately written, so should be up my mid-week.

If you indeed liked this story, don't hesitate to tell me so! I do love hearing from readers, so write me a small (or long!) message when you hit review. :)

Until next time,

**~ Arlia'Devi.**


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